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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIf you used 23andMe, check your settlement notice for any remaining monitoring enrollment, then decide whether you want the company to retain your data and use its current account controls or official support to request deletion. The bankruptcy sale transferred company assets, including consumer data, to TTAM Research Institute, later re-registered as 23andMe Research Institute. The “15 million users” figure is not verified here as the number affected by the breach: state attorneys general describe 6.9 million customers worldwide, while the settlement covers information concerning about 6.4 million U.S. residents.
What should I do if I used 23andMe?
There are two separate things to check: whether you can still use a breach-settlement benefit, and whether you want 23andMe to continue retaining your information. A settlement claim is not a data-deletion request.
| Action | Who should check | Status as of October 8, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash or other claim benefits | People who received a breach notice and submitted a claim by the deadline | The February 17, 2026 claim deadline has passed. The administrator says approved claims were paid September 29–30, 2026. |
| Privacy & Medical Shield + Genetic Monitoring | Eligible settlement members with their unique enrollment code | Enrollment in the five-year benefit is shown as open. Verify your eligibility and current instructions on the court-authorized settlement website. |
| Data deletion | Customers who no longer want the company to retain their information | State attorneys general say deletion rights continue under the sale terms. The exact current account workflow and sample-destruction process have not been verified. |
- Find your official settlement notice. Use the notice and unique enrollment code you received, if available. Check your status and current steps at the court-authorized settlement website.
- Check monitoring eligibility. If you are an eligible class member, use the code and instructions from the official site to enroll while enrollment remains open.
- Make a separate data-retention decision. If you want 23andMe to stop retaining your information, use the current account controls or contact official company support to exercise deletion rights. Do not assume this also destroys a stored saliva sample unless the company confirms it.
What happened to my DNA after 23andMe went bankrupt?
23andMe filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2025. In the court-supervised process, its assets—including consumer data—were sold to TTAM Research Institute. The process was completed July 14, 2025, and the organization later re-registered as 23andMe Research Institute, according to the Arizona Attorney General and Minnesota Attorney General.
Those state officials say the sale terms include enhanced security requirements, risk analysis, an advisory board, commitments to comply with privacy laws, and continued consumer deletion rights. The terms do not mean that data was automatically deleted when ownership changed. The FTC had earlier quoted 23andMe’s privacy statement saying personal information could be accessed, sold, or transferred during bankruptcy or an asset sale, and stated its view that consumer-facing promises must be kept. See the FTC letter for that position.
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Was my DNA data exposed?
The 2023 incident affected millions, but published counts refer to different populations and should not be treated as interchangeable. A 42-state attorneys general coalition describes 6.9 million customers worldwide as affected. The settlement website describes information concerning approximately 6.4 million U.S. residents in its class. The “15 million” customer-scale figure in the bankruptcy-era title is not established by these current sources as the breach-affected count.
California’s Attorney General says attackers directly accessed about 14,000 accounts and, by exploiting additional vulnerabilities, obtained data involving nearly 7 million customers. The state describes the stolen information as including identifying details, ancestry reports, and shared-DNA percentages. Its May 2026 complaint alleges security and disclosure failures; those are allegations in a pending lawsuit, not a final court finding. Details are in the California Attorney General’s announcement.
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The reported attack was not simply a case of users choosing weak passwords: California says attackers used credentials stolen in earlier breaches and exploited a coding error in the DNA Relatives feature. If you reused your 23andMe password on other services, change it anywhere else it was used and avoid reusing passwords going forward. That protects those other accounts; it does not undo information already obtained in the incident.
Can I still get money from the 23andMe settlement?
The deadline to file a claim was February 17, 2026; the deadlines to opt out or object were December 29, 2025. Final approval was granted January 30, 2026. The settlement administrator says the court approved a final $46.75 million settlement amount on July 7, 2026, and approved claim payments were issued September 29–30, 2026. These dates and payment details are reported on the settlement website.
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If you filed on time, check the administrator’s site and your official notice for the status of your claim or payment. If you did not file by the deadline, the published claim window has closed; do not assume that contacting 23andMe or asking to delete data can reopen a settlement claim. Members who did nothing remain bound by the settlement and may still have a chance to use the monitoring benefit if eligible, but they miss cash or statutory benefits they might otherwise have received.
Can I still delete my 23andMe data?
State attorneys general say the bankruptcy-sale conditions preserve consumer deletion rights. Use the account controls currently available to you or contact official 23andMe support to make a request. Because the current support instructions and exact interface could not be confirmed, this article does not provide menu labels or promise that a particular account action deletes every category of information.
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- FIND LIVING RELATIVES: Opt in to DNA Relatives to see up to 1,500 people in the 23andMe database who share DNA with you, from close family to distant cousins, and message them directly. Your Family Tree builds itself automatically based on your DNA.
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- PRIVATE BY DESIGN: Your DNA data is encrypted, protected, and always under your control. Enhanced security measures are implemented to keep your information safe. Subject to 23andMe’s Terms of Service and Privacy Statement at 23andMe online.
Ask the company to clarify what the deletion request covers, including whether a biological sample is still stored and whether sample destruction requires a separate request. Keep a record of your request and any confirmation. The right to request deletion is separate from the settlement process, and making a deletion request does not itself enroll you in monitoring or file a claim.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What privacy protections apply?
State officials say the sale terms require stronger security practices and preserve deletion rights, but those commitments do not erase the breach or establish that every individual record has already been removed. Direct-to-consumer genetic-testing accounts are not necessarily covered by HIPAA’s Privacy Rule, according to state officials; applicable protections can vary by state. Do not assume HIPAA automatically governs your 23andMe account.
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